Monday, November 19, 2012

The inexorable pursuit of an Islamic State — Ahmad Farouk Musa

The inexorable pursuit of an Islamic State — Ahmad Farouk Musa

November 18, 2012

Malaysian Insider--Side Views

NOV 18 — If there is anything unmistakably clear from the
recent muktamar or general assembly of the Islamic Party of Malaysia —
PAS — is that despite the acceptance of the concept of tahalluf siyasi
or political consensus among the three major components of the
opposition front — Pakatan Rakyat — PAS’ ambition in establishing an
Islamic State and implementing hudud laws is unwavering, if not more
resolute.

It appears rather incongruous that despite the acceptance of Buku
Jingga or Orange Book as a comprehensive framework of the opposition
front on how to govern the country when they come to power, PAS seems to
have a higher agenda — to transform the multiracial and multi-religious
country into a full-fledged Islamic state with Islamic laws.

Islamic laws and hudud were never mentioned in Buku Jingga and
neither was the establishment of Islamic State. PAS even came out with
its own manifesto “Nation of Care and Opportunity”. However this concept
of a benevolent state is not well received by many PAS members
themselves. Reason being, the so-called Erdoganists in PAS mainly mooted
it. Recent spate of debate about the concept of Islamist Democrat — a
term popularised by the Erdoganists — between the ulama faction and the
young Turks clearly proved that they are considered contaminants in the
“pure and pristine” PAS struggle.

The changing trend

While PAS has been in existent since 1951, it has remarkably shown to
be very consistent in its struggle ever since, no matter how insensible
it could have been to many. PAS has tried to restore Islam’s place as a
central reference point for all social, cultural, economic and
political life in Muslim society. In the words of Bobby Said in his book
“A Fundamental Fear: Eurocentrism and the Emergence of Islamism”, he
said: Islamism is a project that attempts to transform Islam from a
nodal point in the discourse of Muslim communities to a master
signifier. In particular, the Islamist project is an attempt to make
Islam the master signifier of the political order.

However this project of political Islam has taken a new turn after
what is known as the Arab Spring or the Arab Awakening. The discourse
now is not about establishing an Islamic State or implementing hudud
laws. The aspiration now is to nurture pious Muslims within a democratic
polity. Rachid Ghannouchi, leader of en-Nahdha in Tunisia has
categorically rejected Islamic State in favour of parliamentary
democracy. His party en-Nahdhah is committed to social justice,
multiparty democracy and religious pluralism.

A Professor of Sociology at the University of Illinois, Asef Bayat
termed this shift as post-Islamism. There was a clear shift from the
age-old slogan of al-Islam huwa al-hal — Islam is the solution to all
problems — to a more practical approach and solution.

As put forward by Rachid Ghannouchi in interpreting the saying of the
Prophet: “You are the best people to know what is beneficial for you in
your worldly affairs” meaning to say that it is not the duty of
religion to teach us agriculture, industrial or even governing
techniques. Reason is qualified to teach this truth through the
accumulation of experiences. The role of religion, however, is to answer
the big question for us, those relating to our existence, origins,
destiny and the purpose for which we were created. It is to provide us
with a system of values and principles that would guide our thinking,
behavior and the regulation of the state to which we aspire.

Same old rhetoric

For those who followed closely the recent Muktamar, it is evident
that PAS is still trapped in the age-old agenda. Implementing hudud laws
still remain a priority in its struggle. Obviously this is a clear
contradiction to the mutually agreed Buku Jingga. Whether they are aware
of the repercussion or not, it definitely provides ammunition to the
ruling party that PAS has an ulterior motive to change this country into
an Islamic State.
The patronising speech by Head of Dewan Ulama or the Religious
Council in saying in a jest that hudud will create more job
opportunities since training is needed in order to chop off hands and
that training is also needed for caning of alcohol drinkers only showed
that they are not serious about the current economic problems faced by
the nation. It is as though by simply implementing hudud, all the
economic woes and social ills of the society will be solved.

Nothing serious was discussed about the idea of nation of care and
opportunity. PAS seems to have lost interest in pursuing the welfare
state agenda. The main tone that vibrates especially among the Islamic
scholars was nothing more than hudud and their unyielding push for this
agenda and not in the least worried about going public about it.

Little Napoleons

One of the most worrying trends during the Muktamar is the voices of
little Napoleons who tried to silence Harakah and the online
Harakahdaily who had been accused to give more space to progressive
figures in PAS and sidelining conservative forces.

Harakah is accused to have strayed away from its original intent and
aspiration of PAS. Such an act would have been seen by many who
understand freedom of the press as stifling with the most fundamental
foundation of freedom of speech.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has
the right to freedom of opinion and expression: this right includes
freedom to hold opinions without interference, and impart information
and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers.

Now this act by the little Napoleons only showed how much they
understand and respect human rights and what the future may hold if they
come to power. There will not be any room left for dissension and
differing opinions than what is being held by them.

The political reality

Perhaps the most important thing that PAS should appreciate and
understand is that the appeal for hudud and Islamic State is not there
anymore in the post-Islamism period. PAS should not misunderstand the
votes they received as amounting to the support for their Islamic
agenda.

More than a hundred thousand went to the street for demonstration
during Bersih 3.0 recently. The demand was not to implement hudud or
establishing an Islamic state. People of various races and religions
from all walks of life marched together for a better democracy. They
wanted a clean and fair election and a government free of corruption. It
was an act of defiance to the draconian and unconstitutional Act that
prevented people from any peaceful assembly.

It must be heard loud and clear that the people want a truly
democratic state. Not a state ruled by a group of Mullahs who considered
themselves to be above the law. The precedent was already set when one
state under PAS passed an enactment that a fatwa or religious verdict
from a Mufti cannot be challenged in the court of law.

It has to be understood that the state is not something from God but
from the people. The state has to serve the benefit of the people and
not just a certain group based on their faith. The state has to be
neutral in all aspects. It must also be made clear that a state is a
human product and managing a state requires human endeavor and not
divine inspiration. The governance of a state falls under the realm of
political and is not in the realm of revelation.

Any observance of religious values must never be through coercion. A
state should respect personal beliefs and moral values and not imposed
itself on its citizens. Unfortunately, the current situation in states
under PAS rule failed to prevent this obtrusion of the state into
private sphere. A state should not dictate how we should wear in public
as this falls under personal affairs. However to regulate how women
should dress seemed to be the first agenda under many Islamic
governments; PAS not excluded.

Matters of the heart such as faith should be left to individuals. It
is not the state to meddle in matters of the heart. There is no value in
observing a faith that was made through coercion. Coercing people to
believe in a faith they have no believe anymore through state’s coercive
tools only turn them into hypocrites. People are created free and any
effort of the state to coerce people from embracing or leaving a faith
is worthless and futile.

The road forward

As a concluding remark, it must be re-emphasised that Islam in one
way or another has always influenced a state under Muslim rule
throughout history. Islam has not known a separation between state and
religion in the sense of excluding religion altogether from public life.
However a clear demarcation must be made between what belongs to the
realm of ad-deeni or religious and those that fall under as-siyasi or
political.

Great Islamic jurists like ash-Shatibi and Ibnu Ashur have agreed
that the highest objective of all divine messages is to establish
justice and attaining maslahah by realizing people’s interest. The
pursuit of justice and public interest is done merely through the
exercise of reason. And religion only provides values and guidelines in
this pursuit.

Hence it is wrong to envisage that governing a state must follow a
fixed manual and that manual is none other than the Qur’an. The domain
of state governance falls under as-siyasi — the political — that will
require human intellect to establish justice and equality.

Thus justice cannot be achieved unless human rights are secured for
every individual and group in this country. And primary among human
rights are rights to belief and to express one’s belief.
In a country that has achieved independence since 1957, the sovereign
nation was founded upon the principles of justice and freedom as stated
in the Declaration of Independence. Unfortunately, the principles of
justice and freedom were forgotten and the provisions of fundamental
liberties enshrined in the constitution were progressively compromised
and eroded by the ruling elite.

Our aim now is to recover the lost hope, of justice and freedom, and
not to turn this country into another repressive state that claims to
rule with a mandate from God.